Glowing Embers
by Machete Girl
Summary: After the death of the Smith's, Kai and Nya have a difficult life. The only thing left for them in the will is the blacksmith shop, and things will only get harder. At the same time, the police are searching for them, and Zane is having to stand witness to murder. The witnesses must die. Sequel to "Flames from the Heart". Rated T for crime, and relationships.
1. Chapter 1: Four Weapons

Chapter 1

Four Weapons

A month after those events took place, Kai's aunt finally made her decision. She would take the children tomorrow, the day Kai would be discharged from the Ninjago City Hospital. His wounds were mostly healed, but Nya had something far worse. Amnesia.

They had to explain to her part of the tragedy that had befallen the Smith family. In the depths of Kai's heart, he supposed not remembering those events would be best for her.

However, they were obligated to give an explanation to his oblivious sister. The truth was ugly, and they only told her half of it.

They claimed there was an accident involving Kai, Nya, her mother, and her father. The parents passed away, and her brother supposedly ended up in the hospital for that reason.

Aunt Smith gently knocks on Kai's hospital door with her right fist. She tucks a few strands of brown hair behind her ear, and waits for a response. An eleven-year-old girl with ebony hair down to her shoulders in a red dress clutches the middle-aged woman's left hand.

Her almond eyes are lit with joy when the door opens. A thirteen-year-old boy with dark, brown hair and eyes, dressed in a pale blue hospital scrub smiles at them. His eyes are puffy, and red from crying again, and he hates himself for it.

_No weakness in front of her. Nya needs you with her_, Kai thinks. "Morning, Nya. Morning, Aunt Smith," Kai greets them, his voice less cheery than his face.

"Kai Smith, how many times have I told you not to answer the door yourself?" his aunt reprimands him. This morning, she is not amused.

Kai is not amused either. Ever since those horrific events, he has been crying every night when no one is around. Any sort of cheer flees from his soul. "Sorry," he responds, "I just can't sit all day long in a bed."

"Kai, how are you feeling?" Nya asks before anything else can be said.

"Like I could jump out the window, and land on my feet." Kai offers a fake smile, and pushes the door open all the way. The two enter inside, and take the two, metal chairs that are always there for them.

They visit him every day, yet this one will be quite different. They both sit, and Aunt Smith crosses her legs, smoothing out her khaki skirt. Nya copies her, while Kai sits on the edge of the white bed, tapping his left slipper on the tile floor.

"Tomorrow I'm being discharged, so you must have come for a discussion. Right?" Kai probes.

"Yes, I did. You see we need to discuss your living arrangements." The kind woman folds her hands in her lap.

Kai clutches the metal on the bed until his knuckles turn white. Inevitably, she will have to mention his parents, something he always dreads. The pain of losing them is far too near. He simply nods, and waits for her to continue.

"In your father's will, he left you his blacksmith shop for when you would be older. Sadly, his passing away left the place in my hands. You can live with me, and learn in the shop until you are capable of running it yourselves," Aunt Smith explains.

Once again, Kai nods slowly. "I am sorry, but today is going to be busy, so Nya and I have to leave right now," Aunt Smith apologizes, and gets up, "Goodbye Kai."

"Bye, Kai," Nya waves at her brother as they leave the room.

"Bye," he waves back as they exit, and shut the door. Not two minutes after their departure, a female nurse enters, carrying a new change of clothes, and a towel.

Kai refrains from rolling his eyes at the routine of showering every morning at 7:30. Why did he need to this early?

"Come on, Kai. Please don't give me more trouble. I'm just doing my job," the petite, Asian female says, "I will wait outside the shower room, as usual."

"Okay," Kai responds, and reluctantly follows her out of the room, yet still glad to get out.

Once they make it to the room—past quite a few halls and patients—the nurse hands him the clothing and towel. Kai takes them, and enters the room where there is white tile, and many white stalls. On his right are the showers, and on his right are the sinks and mirrors. No one is present.

He throws the stuff over the door where it hangs on both sides of the nearest stall, and opens it. He shuts it, and removes his uniform, throwing it over the door as well. He turns on the faucet. Icy water hits his head, and he shudders.

Goosebumps form on his skin as he turns it on hot, to soothe those aches in his back. Scars remain on his body, and oftentimes sting. They tear easily, and can he be a bit sensitive to being knocked into, something Kai does often.

The hot water finally comes, and steam rises in the stall, making the walls all sticky. Perhaps a bit of time alone is best for him.

He uses a bar of soap from a little extension protruding from the left wall, and washes his easily knotted hair. The spikes he usually has are flattened down, and have been since he was admitted to the hospital.

He sighs deeply, finishes the shower, and changes. To return to his hospital room of boredom is not something he fancies, but anything is better than what had happened.

_At least Nya doesn't have to remember, or stay here. Things will get better for her, I hope_, Kai thinks, and climbs back into his bed. The television on the wall is on the news channel, something that oddly interests him.

"And this is Gale Gossip on the scene of what appears to be a murder suspect being escorted to court. A thirteen-year-old boy with no alleged memory of his past was found injured at the scene of a horrific crime. An older woman and her granddaughter's bodies were found in their house in Jamanukai Village. The boy had lived with them for three weeks, and so were three others: Kai and Nya Smith, and Jason Wentworth."


	2. Chapter 2: Children

Chapter 2

Those Children

**Duesy3 (Guest): Thank you!**

**star (Guest): Aye, aye!**

"The police are currently searching for the two Smith children, having gone missing the night of the murders. Zane Julien does not remember the events of the murder. The doctors diagnosed him with amnesia as of this morning. Here is a recording of Jason Wentworth's call to the dispatcher," Gale announces.

The screen turns blue, and white words appear on the screen, along with the voice of a young man.

"Hello?" Jason says, "Is anyone there? My-my sister and grandmother are-oh my Overlord! There's blood everywhere! No…they…I don't know! I think they're dead! Three other guys are dead in our house!"

Kai cannot believe his ears.

The police are searching for him?

Why?

Poor Jason must feel awful for losing both Jane, _and_ Grandmother in the same night.

Maybe he should go stand as a witness in court.

After all, it's the right thing to do for someone who sheltered him when his parents…

Kai punches his pillow in frustration, frustrated with himself for even leaving the house in the first place.

Calling Aunt Smith to discuss the matter would be best, for she is an adult, or he could wait and talk tomorrow.

The screen switches to a hospital room with a blond, young teenager in a bed, dressed in a hospital gown, hands folded, listening to Gale.

"What is your name?" the reporter with a hideous hairstyle inquires.

"Zane," the boy replies, looking up with pitiful, icy blue eyes.

He is trembling all over, and his eyes are swollen, as well as puffy.

"What?" Kai whispers, his heart tearing at the news.

The poor kid.

He already didn't have any parents he could remember, and now this?

Kai grabs the remote from the bedside, and turns the television off, fed up with everything.

He sets it back in its respective place, putting his head in his hands, overwhelmed by the recent events.

Why Zane?

Why him?

Why did his little sister need to go through all of that?

They should be happy, playing outside, coming home to loving parents—a mom who gives hugs, and a dad who teaches them sword skills.

Kai hugs his knees up to his chest, and cries silently to smother the tears and sobs.

**Day One of the Trip: 7:30 A.M.**

After showering and changing, Kai joins Aunt Smith and his sister.

All climb into the packed white SUV, and take off down the cracked asphalt of Ninjago City. Nya entertains herself, watching the various shops and as they pass by.

Kai sits in the very back, left seat, ignoring his sister's requests to play.

Not today.

Silence is sweet to the boy, and he most certainly needs it.

Sleep eventually greets him, drawing him to the land of dreams, away from his bleak world.

Aunt Smith pulls over in the parking lot of a convenience store, and enters with Nya, manually locking a sleeping Kai in.

_Perfect. The boy is still in the vehicle_, a certain someone thinks.

Several minutes latter, the two return to the vehicle.

"Auntie Smith, what happened to the tire?" Nya points to a slash mark in all four tires of the vehicle.


	3. Chapter 3: Murderer?

Chapter 3

Murderer?

**With Zane**

They kept calling me him murderer. He doesn't even know what that means, but they keep saying it.

Zane sits on the edge of his hospital bed, hands folded against his forehead.

He has always been calm and quiet, never complaining when the pain medication wore off, never crying, or screaming when one of the less kind nurses accused him of murder.

Everyone thought Zane to be a psychopath, self-absorbed, mercilessly sadistic. But he never showed any signs of these, in fact on the contrary.

He was polite to the detectives, nurses, and doctor, did what he was told, answered every question with honesty. One by one, the people around him started to believe him innocent.

'After all, he's only thirteen, incapable of killing three men alone,' they said.

Zane, however, has had seconds thoughts on the entire matter. He cannot remember what happened, but he had done _something_.

Jason visited him on occasion, and claimed that they were best friends when Grandmother was alive.

Zane was kind to him, yet always felt bad vibes around the older teen.

NINJA GO!

Kai unlocks the door from the inside with trembling fingers, panic settling in instantly when he hears about the slashed tires. After exiting the vehicle, he hands the girls their luggage, and ushers them away from the van.

"Hurry, we need to get out of here. We'll take a cab, or something," he says, his intentions on keeping them safe the only thing on his mind.

"Why? What's the matter?" Nya asks, following her older brother while clutching Aunt Smith's hand tightly, more than simply scared.

Kai doesn't respond, but bites down on his quivering lip to keep from crying. He needs to stay strong, for his sister.

An older teen approaches the trio, running a hand through his jet-black hair, and smiles at the two.

He puts both thumbs in his jeans pockets, and stops in front of Kai.

"Finally, I found you guys!" Jason exclaims, opening up his arms for a hug.

Kai doesn't return it.

"Why are you here?" he asks, his voice displaying strong suspicion, and bitterness.

That kid hurt them before, and Kai won't let that happen to his sister ever again.

Never.

"Excuse me. How do you know us?" Nya asks, oblivious to the tension between the two boys.

"You don't remember me?" Jason says, "The guy who lived in Jamanukai village?"

Nya shakes her head full of ebony hair, and reaches over to Kai. She squeezes his hand tightly.

Her brother squeezes back, not taking his eyes off the teen in front of him.

"Nice to see you too. We're in a hurry, so can you move?" Kai responds, not too friendly.

"Wait a minute, you're not going anywhere," Jason says, and reaches into his neon green jacket pocket.

Kai backs away, expecting something dreadful: a weapon, or anything horrible, as is the guy's way.

Threats and violence are his things.


End file.
